The invention relates to a linear connector of plastic material for joining two parallel hollow spacing profiles or two parallel hollow bar profiles of multiple insulating glass units which units are provided at least two parallel glass panes separated from one another by such a spacing profile surrounding the edges of these glass panes.
Spacing profiles with parallel profile tracks for multiple insulating glass units are known for instance from the European patent specification 365 832. These spacing profiles are especially used in those cases in which the inner pan of the multiple insulating glass unit is heated as for instance in rooms of buildings. For that purpose a heat conductivity as low as possible as well as an electrical conductivity as low as possible of the spacing profiles are required, in order to avoid currence of heat or electricity, respectively, from the inner to the outer pan. Therefore, the two parallel tracks of the hollow spacing profiles are separated by suitable insulation, for instance by a molded mass of polyurethane joining these parallel tracks of spacing profiles to become a solid unflexible unit.
It has been found out that in those cases in which spacing profiles of the above-mentioned kind are not to be connected at their ends by so-called corner connectors but are to be connected within the straight range of their extension, because the spacing profiles need no corner connectors as they are continuously running around the four edges of the multiple insulating glass units, a linear connector is necessary provided with two parallel tracks forming a unitary construction. Such a unitary construction is advantageous because it can be mounted into the hollow spacing profiles, simpler and without less costs than two separate linear connectors. Moreover, such a construction using two parallel tracks as a unitary structure does not have the disadvantage that the location of connection of the spacing profiles is provided within the area of the isolating mass with an air gap which exists when two separate common linear connectors are used. The reason for such an air gap is the fact that the faces of the ends of the spacing profile tracks which are to be connected to one another abut the abutting ribs at the center of the linear connector. Thus, the point of connection of the spacing profile tracks which cut off together with the isolating mass located between them is provided with a gap within the range of the isolating mass, which gap corresponds to the thickness of these ribs of abutment.